The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-07-13
ALL ABOUT THE TEETH.
A DENTISTS TALK ABOUT HUMAN
MoLARS.
Construction of the Teeth-Women's
Teeth More Delicate Than Those
of Men-Care of the Teeth.

of Men-Care of the Teeth.
A leading Chicago dentist has been
talking about human teeth to Tribune
reporter. He said; ''To begin with, of
the five superior cavities of the head, the
mouth is by far the most important, be-
cause into 1t goes the food by which we
sustain life. OF all the constituent parts
Of the mouth the teeth play the most inns
portant part in preparing the food for the
nourishment of the body. In mastication
different teeth are employed for different
purposes. The front oues, or incisors as
they are called, are to bite or tear off the
mouthfuls Of food. The back teeth, the
biscuspids and molars, or teeth posterior,
are to grind the food into the pliable
mass ready for swallowing. Now the
teeth, as a rule, are neglected even by the
most careful persons--that is, neglected
from standpoint OF pure science
and the reason OF this is that they
don't seem to understand that the
strongest of outer substances will
give way to persistent friction. The
construction of the teeth is made up, in
gross, of two parts-soft solids or animal
tissues and calcareous salts, such as car
Donate and phosphate of lime, magnesia,
and traces of other earthly salts. That
portion of the tooth above the gum con-
sists Of dense substance known as
enamel, which is at first touch within
four per cent of being as hard as stone.
The philosophy of caring for the enamel
of the tooth is very simple. 1t amounts
to this: that if this enamel-this strong
substances by persistent cleansing pre-
vented from becoming perforated by the
acids left from the food, the bone Of the
tooth cannot possibly decay, and if the
dentine remains sound the nerve chamber
cannot be reached by air, food, acids, OF
other foreign substances-all of which
are prime causes of that fearful infiction,
the toothachc. Not tired yet Well,
the dentine is the principal body of the
tooth, containing about seventy-two per
cent. of calcareous matter, and being just
so much softer than the enamel decays
much more quickly once it is reached.
The next resistant of the tooth is the ce-
mentum, which covers the root. In tho
interior of the tooth is an artery, which
contains the mass of soft tissue known az
the nerve. The idea entertained by SO
n any people that the Staying of the nerve
of a tooth will put an end to all
pain, SO far as that particular
grinder is concerned Is erroneous. A
exposed pulp of course will ache, and to
stop it, it must either be killed or shut out
from the air and all foreign substances
The latter effect is secured by filling up
the cavity. But of course the nerve can
not stand this, and that is the reason why
H.. -, I~sn Nl,so 80.
to be commended, however, because it is
so apt to lead to liberation, which will
bring on more pain than ever for the
patient. The more workmanlike plan
is to construct bridge at the cavity and
roS-the filling go in after that. The nerve
will then De allowed free play beneath
the bridge. -,-.----
'The teeth of women are much softer
than those of men, there being less cal
careous matter interspersed about the soft
solids. Nearly two-thirds of my patients
are women and children. The teeth OF
the young decay faster than the old,
because of the smaller amount of lime
salts they contain. For this reason too
much care cannot be given to the teeth
of children. Every child should be taught
to hold its teeth of the first Importance,
and the proper care of them should be
instilled into its mind contemporaneously
with the alphabet.
at is just as possible to build up the
teeth by nourishmentas as any other part OF
the body. The simpler the diet the
better for the teeth. 1t is the outside Of
all the grains, of all the cereal foods that
contains the carbonate and phosphate OF
lime and traces of other earthly salts
which nourish the bony tissues and
build the frame of the tooth up. II the
teeth of children are not furnished with
the pabulum that they crave they cannot
be built up into permanently sound
and healthy condition. The teeth OF
each generation are weaker than those Of
the preceding one, which makes the out
look for the future an exceedingly gloomy
one. Fine sets of teeth are nearly always
inherited, and you will very rarely see {
parent who owns handsome set OF
grinders who has not thoroughly imbued
his or her children with the principle
that their molars are of the first import.
ance to them. The consequence is that
the teeth of the entire family
are objects of wonder to the
entire neighbOrhOod. Oatmeal is one
of the best foods for supplying the
teeth with nourishment. 1t makes the
dentine and enamel strong and able tC
resist all forms of decay. The same
beneficial jme-salts abound in wheat
meal. Baked beans, also, contain much
excellent nourishment for the teeth, and
for this purpose cannot be partaken Of
too often. No; have not heard that
the people of Boston are famous for theil
grinders, but shouldn't wonder If they
were. A man who eats baked beans foul
or five times week isn't likely to have
much the matter with his teeth
"The teeth should be thoroughly
cleansed, not less than three, and i
possible, five or six times a day-more i
you like. Without this, the particles o.
food will adhere and their acids eat int,
the enamel Good soapis about as good
a dentifrice as / can recommend, and il
brushing the teeth the movement should
be up and down from the gum and moi
across, as is the customary manner. Carr
should be taken, too, to brush CAREFUL.
the grinding surfaces Of the teeth"